Fellow Carbon Addict, Danny M, emailed recently with an interesting thought he had whilst watching a club member of his changing a tube by the side of the road.
What if by some quirk of fate cars were not invented and bikes were the main and most popular form of transport – do you think there would be the equivalent of the NRMA for roadside bike repairs?
As lovers of hypothetical questions Danny, we reckon this one is beauty. And it’s surely one that in itself raises even more questions. Here’s what we think of such a scenario. See if you agree.
1) Could someone make money out of it?
Almost certainly, so surely it would exist in some form, there are certainly enough cyclists out there with no idea how to perform even the most basic of mechanical tasks.
2) How much would you be prepared to pay for it?
That’s a much tougher one, guess it depends on what’s included in the service and how many rival businesses there are to keep the proprietors honest. If it’s a monopoly, watch out.
3) Would the average road cyclist be able to swallow his or her pride enough to actually use it – especially in front of their ride buddies?
No chance.
Of course, the biggest problem with such a service would surely be how long it takes the poor bastard to reach you, given with no cars he/she would be riding too, no doubt with a bloody big backpack and/or bulging panniers. Okay if you’re just doing a commute in the city – not so good if you’re halfway to Newcastle.
You might be better off walking home.
Carbon Addiction 